Bay FC needs to start stringing together some victories – and soon — if it has any hope of making the NWSL playoffs.
The road to the postseason for Bay FC got tougher on Monday night, as the second-year NWSL team allowed a go-ahead goal to Maiara Niehues in the 77th minute in a 2-1 loss to Angel City FC before an announced crowd of 14,971 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
On the play, Angel City’s Miyabi Moriya sent a corner kick into the center of the box that Niehues headed past the outstretched arms of diving Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz.
Riley Tiernan also scored for Angel City (6-7-5), which won its second straight after an eight-game winless streak.
Tiernan, a rookie, took a pass from M.A. Vignola and ran it downfield before cutting inside and dancing around Bay defenders before firing a shot past Silkowitz in the 12th minute.
It was Tiernan’s team-leading eighth goal. She moved into second for most goals ever by an NWSL rookie.
Bay (4-9-5) has now lost three straight matches and is winless in its last seven (0-5-2). Bay FC’s last win came on June 7 when it beat the Portland Thorns 1-0 at PayPal Park.
Monday, Rachel Hill had Bay’s lone goal as she scored on the rebound off her own shot on Angel City goalkeeper Hannah Seabert in the 37th minute.
The loss keeps Bay FC in 12th place in the NWSL standings with 17 points, leaving it seven points behind Gotham FC for the eighth and final playoff spot. Bay has eight matches remaining, starting with Saturday’s home game against the first-place Kansas City Current (15-2-1). Bay FC lost to Kansas City 4-1 on May 11.
The NWSL Championship will take place at PayPal Park on Nov. 22.
“Our team showed a lot of character again, being down and coming back and tying the game up,” Bay FC coach Albertin Montoya said. “I thought we were very good in the first half and created several opportunities. The second half became a bit more of a transitional game.
“We just keep battling, every single game we’re so close, they continue to believe. We’ve got a lot of games left to go get three points.”
Bay FC’s Asisat Oshoala was given an excused absence amid numerous reports of a move to Al Hilal Saudi Women’s Premier League. Oshoala, a two-time Ballon d’Or finalist over five prolific seasons with Barcelona and a much-ballyhooed signing by Bay FC last year, had a team-leading eight goals in 24 matches in 2024 but has not scored in 12 games this season.
Angel City’s Alyssa Thompson was also an excused absence for the game as rumors swirled that Chelsea was in talks to acquire the 20-year-old winger. The transfer deadline in the English Women’s Super League is Thursday.
Any fee for Thompson is likely to exceed $1 million. The Orlando Pride recently paid an international record $1.5 million transfer fee for forward Lizbeth Ovalle from Mexico’s Tigres.